Gideon's head snapped toward the sound instantly, his entire posture shifting as an Alpha, not a confessor. The tension in the room snapped tight like a drawn wire.
The knock came again.
Relief cut through him sharply, unwelcome but undeniable. Henrietta's blade-sharp words had struck his chest since earlier, when his wolf had been pressuring him to answer her.
"Enter," he commanded.
The door opened just enough for a woman to slip inside.
It was Rowan.
Her presence became the ice breaker between the two of them. She greeted Gideon first out of respect, then took in the scene with one sweeping glance, spotting Henrietta on the bed, tear-streaked and trembling, while Gideon stood nearby like a storm barely contained.
She nearly sighed in defeat, already guessing that her Alpha had don
